St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1887-02-05
TWO SERIOUS EVILS.
Home And Farm.

A correspondent from Louisiana
writes that the two evils of his country
are guano and the Louisiana State
Lottery.
Undoubtedly great deal of money
has been wasted by injudicious expen-
diture on commercial fertilizers. The
difficulty has been that the farmers do
not understand the necessity of adapt
ing the fertilizer to the need of the soil
The idea which should control one in
the application of guano, is to give the
soil what the soil lacks, in other words,
to feed the farm. There is a vast diff
erence between thus enriching the soil,
and by stimulants eXhausting and i'm
pairing its worth. A physician tells his
patient that he needs nutritious food in
order to build up his system, and gem
orally warns him against the use of
alcoholic stimulants, or stimulants of
any kind. The trouble with the farm
ing community is that they do not real
iZo that the same distinction exists in
the soil. They do not need, as Il rule,
to apply stimulants. The crop takes
out of the soil certain amount of value
which should be returned in some way.
1t should be fed as the horses are fed
for the purpose of health and strength.
1t can be said as a general rule that
the ordinary fertilizers, Such as can he
accumulated about the stable and hen
houses, are always useful. When one
goes to purchase, for the purpose of
improving his land. he should first dis
cover the element his soil lacks, and
supply it. This, of course, can only be
determined accurately by observation
and chemical analysis. In other words,
it is difficult, and to some extent costly,
but if man intends to spend money
for anything, he onght to spend little
in advance to know what he wants.
AS to the lottery there is nothing to
be said. Undoubtedly the scheme
mentioned and other schemes have
done srevions harm to the people of the
South. Not simply in the agricultural
communities, but throughout all Of the
cities. There exists in the mind of
most every one all intense desire for
gain. This has been stimulated by
seductive advertisements, and the priz-
es gained here and there by some fortu-
nate or favored individual. 1t seems
such an easy road to wealth and ease,
and yet a moments examination of the
whole scheme would show any sensible
man that it is the most costly, and the
most uncertain method of securing a
competency. There is, as we under
StHUf tH6 ub PROMISE
mnde to return the ticket holders more
than Onehalf, or some such like pro-
portion. They say to a million people.
it you contribute 81 each, or 81 900. 900
in all. we will retain one-half of this
for expenses, and the remainder we will
distribute by lot among you. So that
for every dollar You gain some one has
contributed 90. And besides this, their
distribution is not equally made you
do not want it made equally. You have
really entered into combination with
the Lottery Company to get the money
of somebody else. Now the probability
is, that instead of succeeding in this
undertaking, some one else will get
your money, and can.ldly we believe
this is the best thing that could happen
TO you. Success to the holder of lot
terry ticket can only work injury to Il
mans moral character, and his best
friend can only wish him disappoint-
ment in this transaction.
We urge our readers, as we have
done time and again, to avoid all
schemes of this character, whatever
disguise they may assume. Put aside
the idea of getting something for moth
ing. If you accomplish this, it is done
at the expense of some one who needs
the money as much, or perhaps more,
than you need it.
There is only one source of wealth, |
and that is production. The support
Of the race, of the government, of the
army, everything, has come out of the |
amount produced by the people. Any
thing that interferes with the nations |
productive capacity, that increases the
labor imposed upon it, that interfercs
in any way with the proper distribution
OF these products, in fair wages, and a
fair return on capital, is a grevious in
Jury to the whole Now, when you
or assist great lottery COM
pany that creates nothing, that renders
absolutely no service in transporting
raw materials, or presenting it to the
into some more desirable
form; company that simply lives by
the cupidity and appealing
o the ignorance Of the people, a grave
wrong is done. The company is an
incubus upon the laboring classes that
ought not to be tolera ted.
There is certainly something wrong
With the body polite, or with public
morals, when such an institution can
lot only live but flourish. We look for
he time when our people will be so
and will see so clearly,
imply what is TO their own personal
interest, that all lotteries will be dis
and suppressed. not
merely by some legal enactment and
,ower OF the law, but by moral forces
hat must be exercised under all of
hese circumstances.